EC 3.1.26.3
- Ribonuclease III

Names

Accepted name:

ribonuclease III

Other
names:

RNase III
ribonuclease 3

Systematic name:

-

Reaction

Endonucleolytic cleavage to 5'-phosphomonoester.

Comments:

This is an endoribonuclease that cleaves double-stranded RNA molecules [4]. The cleavage can be either a single-stranded nick or double-stranded break in the RNA, depending in part upon the degree of base-pairing in the region of the cleavage site [5]. Specificity is conferred by negative determinants, i.e., the presence of certain Watson-Crick base-pairs at specific positions that strongly inhibit cleavage [6]. RNase III is involved in both rRNA processing and mRNA processing and decay.